Last fall, Norwegian airline Wideroe used a child's glee at his grandfather's airplane-conjuring trick to create one of 2012's best ads. Now, British Airways is showcasing a digital version of a similar concept.
A billboard at London crossroads Piccadilly Circus is programmed to show a virtual boy standing up and pointing at actual British Airways flights as they pass over the ad, which also identifies each plane's flight number and place of origin or destination. It's a nifty illusion, if a little less magical than the Wideroe ad, which managed to capture a credible slice of cross-generational life in an incredibly charming story. Then again, it's kind of apples and oranges—the BA bit is definitely way cuter than your average airline billboard.
"We all know from conversations with friends and family that we wonder where the planes are going and dream of an amazing holiday or warm destination," Abigail Comber, head of marketing at British Airways, said in a statement. "The clever technology allows this advertisement to engage people there and then answer that question for them. We hope it will create a real 'wow' and people will be reminded how amazing flying is and how accessible the world can be."
Maybe next time the marketer just needs to add a twee tortured soundtrack like the Daughter clip that Wideroe used.
Agency: Ogilvy 12th Floor. Via Creative Criminals.